diff --git a/package/base-files/Makefile b/package/base-files/Makefile
index 5fb275533d..5bf783d0e8 100644
--- a/package/base-files/Makefile
+++ b/package/base-files/Makefile
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ include $(INCLUDE_DIR)/version.mk
 include $(INCLUDE_DIR)/feeds.mk
 
 PKG_NAME:=base-files
-PKG_RELEASE:=221
+PKG_RELEASE:=222
 PKG_FLAGS:=nonshared
 
 PKG_FILE_DEPENDS:=$(PLATFORM_DIR)/ $(GENERIC_PLATFORM_DIR)/base-files/
diff --git a/package/base-files/files/lib/functions/caldata.sh b/package/base-files/files/lib/functions/caldata.sh
index 6862da7164..e22c7d27e6 100644
--- a/package/base-files/files/lib/functions/caldata.sh
+++ b/package/base-files/files/lib/functions/caldata.sh
@@ -64,7 +64,8 @@ caldata_from_file() {
 
 	[ -n "$target" ] || target=/lib/firmware/$FIRMWARE
 
-	dd if=$source of=$target iflag=skip_bytes bs=$count skip=$offset count=1 2>/dev/null || \
+	# dd doesn't handle partial reads from special files: use cat
+	cat $source | dd of=$target iflag=skip_bytes bs=$count skip=$offset count=1 2>/dev/null || \
 		caldata_die "failed to extract calibration data from $source"
 }
 
@@ -73,13 +74,14 @@ caldata_sysfsload_from_file() {
 	local offset=$(($2))
 	local count=$(($3))
 
+	# dd doesn't handle partial reads from special files: use cat
 	# test extract to /dev/null first
-	dd if=$source of=/dev/null iflag=skip_bytes bs=$count skip=$offset count=1 2>/dev/null || \
+	cat $source | dd of=/dev/null iflag=skip_bytes bs=$count skip=$offset count=1 2>/dev/null || \
 		caldata_die "failed to extract calibration data from $source"
 
 	# can't fail now
 	echo 1 > /sys/$DEVPATH/loading
-	dd if=$source of=/sys/$DEVPATH/data iflag=skip_bytes bs=$count skip=$offset count=1 2>/dev/null
+	cat $source | dd of=/sys/$DEVPATH/data iflag=skip_bytes bs=$count skip=$offset count=1 2>/dev/null
 	echo 0 > /sys/$DEVPATH/loading
 }